A SMOOTH, ACCESSIBLE RIDE TO OUR CLOUDS

Cloud computing means we can access to information, services, digital tools, and media from anywhere.

Multi-platform computing means we have vast and enormous interface choices, with greater flexibility and immediacy than ever before.

But for those who are multi-platform, multi-cloud users, the experience has become cumbersome. We access services through the Web, Mobile, Tablets, Connected TV etc. and most of the time, each device requires a different login. Once into our devices, web sites and social media sites they each request their own login. Share a video? Log into YouTube, then Twitter, then Skype, then connected TV and so on.

Some companies are doing it right – integrating multi-platform access in an organic way, and teaming up with other services for a better user experience. Take Evernote, offering consumers a multi-platform « notebook » to retain, organize and share all types of digital information from multiple services and devices and with one login everywhere. Then there’s Netflix, which allows you to watch and share from virtually any platform. One login gets you into both services.
XboxLive from Microsoft and Google + also give you everything they have to offer with a single login.

We need to give users this experience across the board. I don’t believe customers should be required to access each service separately. It should be possible to create your own login ecosystem – an SSO (single-sign-on) that takes you straight into a secure, personalized cloud experience.

As developers for the web, we must continue to carefully analyze how online services and platforms interact. At the end of the day, we have to be sure that user-friendliness remains at the top of our list of objectives. As the future adds Apps, software, tools, platforms, devices and technology, it also adds more clutter and confusion.

Think good user-centric design. Lets give users a smooth ride as they travel to our clouds.